The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Open House Weekend wrapped up Sunday, May 21. This weekend kicks off summer each year, with free park entrance and free fishing available across the state for these three days. This leads into Memorial Day Weekend, the official start of summer! We’ll recap the fishing from the past week and take a look at the upcoming holiday weekend!
Lake Sharpe Fishing Report
As discussed last week, the fishing has really been picking up on Lake Sharpe in the Pierre area and the good bite continued through the week! The week started off with a bang, as we were able to win our Tuesday Night League in Pierre with a weight of 12.80 pounds. The big bag was anchored by yet another 27 incher, this one at 7.30 pounds.
This was the second fish greater than 27 inches to enter the blue Lund in four days. The first one, as discussed in last week’s fishing report, was 27 1/2 inches and weighed 6.15 pounds. This, coupled with another 21 1/2 incher last Sunday morning, served as a great reminder that there are indeed very large walleyes to be caught in Lake Sharpe! Sharpe is often thought of as an action fishery, but the trophy potential certainly exists as well!
The pattern we had put together continued through the weekend, producing yet another “over” Saturday morning. It’s not often on Lake Sharpe you’re consistently catching “overs,” or fish greater than 20 inches, but this goes to show how strong the bite has been in recent weeks.
As the weather continues to warm, fish are beginning to really transition into more traditional summer patterns. As the bite on the reservoir changes, this pattern does appear to be changing as well, but there is still a bit of hope that the pattern can hold on for yet one more week as we look to repeat again for our Tuesday Night League.
There is of course plenty of fish to be caught as well! As we discussed in the 2023 South Dakota Fishing Outlook, expect lots of 12-15 inch fish in Lake Sharpe this year and they are indeed plentiful. There are still good numbers of 15-17 inch fish being caught as well.
The stilling basin continues to be a popular location with most anglers focused on jigging near the mouth. Further down in town, fish continue to be caught along the sandbars and shorelines as well. Hipple Lake in Farm Island Recreation Area continues to have excellent white bass fishing, but there are a few walleyes to be caught as well!
The most popular bite continues to be near West Bend, where action continues to be excellent with both shorts and keepers. Expect a great deal of boat traffic in this area, which leads us to our Memorial Day Weekend outlook!
Memorial Day Weekend Outlook
Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, which means summer is officially here! As discussed in our fishing report, we are in a time of transition, and the bite is starting to transition into more traditional summer patterns. The fish are getting more active, they’re focused on feeding, and they’re moving off of their spawning areas and into more traditional summer locations.
Lake Sharpe
On Lake Sharpe, the bite is going to be in your traditional locations. As mentioned above, the fishing at West Bend has been excellent and that bite should continue throughout the summer months. Anglers camping at West Bend Recreation Area are sure to enjoy excellent fishing and many anglers from the Pierre and Chamberlain area are taking advantage of this bite as well!
In town, the stilling basin should continue to hold fish, as there is bait present. Fish should be able to still be caught jigging near the mouth, but expect anglers transitioning to bottom bouncing with live bait or trolling crankbaits to do the best.
Hipple Lake in Farm Island Recreation Area continues to produce excellent white bass fishing. Anglers targeting white bass, crappie, and channel catfish are doing well! There are walleyes to be caught, but expect this bite to continue to get better as the summer progresses.
Anglers looking to fish from shore can also find good fishing along the causeway, between Twin Bridges down to Fort George, and the Oahe Dam tailrace should begin to pick up here as summer progresses though that bite is yet to takeoff.
Lake Oahe
As summer begins, the focus will soon be transitioning to Lake Oahe. The lower end of the reservoir generally begins to kick into gear around June, but fishing in the Mobridge, Akaska, and Whitlock area begins to often fire up this time of year.
After tough fishing in 2022, GFP will be conducting a major stocking effort for both walleye and gizzard shad into Lake Oahe. Combined with rising water conditions, an abundance of forage should be available for walleye in the system and result in excellent growth rates. Expect Lake Oahe to be turning a major corner after tough fishing this past season and a great bite on the horizon.
Lake Francis Case
Memorial Day Weekend generally means the fishing on Lake Francis Case is really taking off on the lower end of the reservoir. Expect excellent fishing in the Platte Creek and Snake Creek areas. Popular locations include Red Rock Point, Two Johns, and the submerged trees outside Platte Creek Recreation Area.
Glacial Lakes Region
After a long winter, the Glacial Lakes region is entering summer form as well. While the ice comes off the Missouri River reservoirs quicker than many of the fisheries in the eastern part of the state, the transition into summer patterns is often slower on the river than the smaller lakes. Generally speaking, these fisheries “fire up” in terms of spawning, forage production, and fish activity faster. While the ice may have just been off three weeks ago for some of these fisheries, the spawn completed rapidly, and the fisheries are beginning to go full force.
Expect excellent fishing at the most popular waterbodies including Lake Thompson, Lake Poinsett, Bitter Lake, Waubay Lake, and Dry Lake #2. As always in the Glacial Lakes region, expect bites to come and go across a wide variety of smaller sloughs and lakes as well.
Clean, Drain, Dry
Memorial Day Weekend is officially the start of boating season, which means now is a great time to remember to practice CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY to do your part to slow the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). When you’re on the water this summer, remember to:
- Pull all boat plugs, including your main plug and all live well plugs;
- Drain your lower unit by lowering your motor each time you load the boat;
- Never transport fish or bait in lake or river water away from the access;
- Clean any weeds, mud, or other visible debris off your boat and trailer; and,
- Dry any equipment that has been submerged in water.
As a reminder, AIS inspection stations are also set up across South Dakota. If you’re towing a boat or any other watercraft, you need to stop at these inspection stations and do your part. If you’ve practiced clean, drain, dry, the inspection stations are very easy to go through.
Practice Safe Boating
This week is National Safe Boating Week, which is a great reminder heading into the Memorial Day Weekend. We all want to have fun on the water this weekend, but that also means we need to be safe. When you’re out on the water, remember to:
- Never operate the boat after consuming alcohol;
- Always have a designated driver for both your boat and your vehicle;
- Wear your lifejacket and be sure there are enough lifejackets for everyone onboard;
- Always wear your emergency kill switch when operating the boat on plane;
- Pay attention to where you are going and watch for obstructions and other vessels; and,
- Be sure your vessel has appropriate safety equipment including lifejackets, a throwable device, fire extinguisher, and signal device.
Make Plans to Hit the Water!
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to purchase your South Dakota fishing license. You can purchase your fishing license, as well as make camping reservations, purchase park entrance licenses, and add other items such as the durable hard card in Go Outdoors South Dakota.
Other News and Notes
2023 Park Entrance Licenses Required
As of Monday, May 22, the 2023 South Dakota Park Entrance License is required for entrance into all state parks and recreation areas. These park entrance licenses have been available for sale since October 1, 2022, and are valid until May 2024. The 2022 license is no longer valid. Before you enter the park this weekend, make sure you have your 2023 South Dakota Park Entrance License affixed to your windshield!
Fish Stocking Reports
Spring means fish stocking, and it has been a busy year for GFP. It was a tough year for winterkill in some eastern South Dakota waterbodies, but these waterbodies have since been restocked in addition to the wide variety of stockings that take place across the state each year. You can see all the latest stockings, by visiting the GFP website under the “Fish” section and selecting “Fish Stockings in the Last 14 Days.”
South Dakota Public Fishing Access Map
If you are still yet to decide on where you’ll be fishing this weekend, check out the South Dakota Public Fishing Access Map. This map displays all the boat launches and public accesses as well as information regarding the specific fisheries themselves. Find where you’ll hit the water on the Public Fishing Access Map!
We hope you have a great Memorial Day Weekend! Stay safe, be responsible, and have fun on the water this weekend and throughout the entire summer!
